Earlier this year, I read Toni Morrison’s Recitatif. It’s interesting in the fact that it never makes any statement about the race of the two main characters, or any of the characters for that matter. All that there is is some class coding and the fact that one is black and the other is white. But what is “coding” anyway, in a literary sense? Well, it’s the usage of the characteristics or stereotypes surrounding a group of people (in terms of race, class, gender, sexual orientation, etc.) to imply that a character is a part of that group. Coded language is the usage of phrases or slang that is popular within groups. In a similar vein is subtext, which is an allegorical reading of a text. With this in mind, the usage of coded language and subtext is often indicative of the societal context in which a text is written. What is said explicitly and what is left between the lines speaks volumes about what one could say at the time.
Racial coding can often reveal more about the reader than the author. That was the point that Morrison was getting across through Recitatif. While many stories state outright the races of its characters, Recitatif avoids this, forcing the reader to fill in the gaps. Because the reader is deciding, it highlights what characteristics they find to be more of one race or the other. Often, the difference between good and bad usage of coded language is the thin line between stereotype and common experience. It’s for this reason that comedians of a certain race can make jokes about it, but it would be less acceptable coming from someone of another race. A similar concept is the difference between jokes laughing at people (largely shallow, not particularly nuanced) and jokes laughing with people (relatable and showing understanding).
Other than racial coding, another coding and subtext that relates to the LGBTQ+ community can also shed light on what was deemed acceptable in society. An example of queer subtext is Three Girls, a short story by Carol Joyce Oates, which is set in 1965 is about two girls in a book store who see someone who looks like Marilyn Monroe. At the end of the short story, they kiss. There is a parallel between the experience of the two girls and Monroe: just as "Monroe" has to keep herself hidden in public, so too do the two girls have to keep their love hidden. This is shown through the way she describes Monroe’s situation, saying that “Oh, we worried about Marilyn Monroe’s recklessness! We dreaded her being recognized” (Oates). Here, the common experience of being in trouble for something you are (a celebrity, gay, etc.) rather than something you’re doing. In this way, the struggle of gay people at the time is represented allegorically. Similarly, in the modern day, these struggles can be presented more frankly, as shown by Garrard Conley’s Boy Erased, a 2016 memoir covering his experiences in conversion therapy. He shares a similar sentiment, asking, “What did it feel like to not have to think about your every move, to not be scrutinized for everything you did, to not have to lie every day?” (Conley). This demonstrates how these very similar plights could be represented in different ways: Oates more between the lines and Conley more directly.
An example of Queer-coded language is Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest. At the time any homosexual activity was illegal, and Wilde even got sent to prison for two years for it. However, through his usage of underground slang, the jokes flew over most of the upper class audience’s heads. On the topic of slang: how does slang develop? A PBS article states that “The four factors that are most likely to produce slang are youth, oppression, sports and vice.” Queer slang is no exception, but it originated most heavily from a place of necessity. One example of this is Polari, gay slang that was used in Britain from around the 1700s to the 1980s. Because it was against the law to be gay, Polari was the only way they could speak somewhat openly. However, it fell out of usage when it became known to the general public, and some words still stick around to this day (such as bod, ogle, and drag). In The Importance of Being Earnest, the slang and references used were that of the British underground, but not Polari. There is some disagreement over the validity of some of the slang, such as “earnest” meaning gay or Cecily referring to a male prostitute, as I was unable to find a reliable source outside of the play that showed the usage of this slang. It is likely, but not completely confirmed. Nonetheless, the play is still full of slang and allusions to both the English gay underground as well as Wilde’s role in it. The cigarette case, for example, parallels a gift he had been given by his lover, Lord Alfred Douglas. The story even matches his own, as Douglas went by “Bosie,” and that was inscribed on the case, much like how Jack Worthing had a cigarette case that had his alter ego’s name, “Ernest,” on it. With this in mind, the main plot could be an allegory as well, with the two leads living double lives in order to be with the ones they love. With this play in particular, it shows how society in the 1890s was not too keen on the notion of gay people.
Even though society is a lot more open to queer stories now, the usage of coded language and subtext still continues. Returning to Three Girls, it was actually written in 2004, making the allegory more artistic than necessary. A common theme among many texts with queer subtext is being persecuted for something you are, rather than something you are doing. However, this is distinct from racial persecution, because unlike racial characteristics, most queer people are able to hide this part of their identity.
For a more modern example, in Disney’s Luca, there is a queer allegory, not because both leads, Luca and Alberto, are male, but in the fact that they both have to hide their identities as sea monsters to live in the village. This adds a new depth to some of the scenes, most especially the second act low point of the movie. At this point, Alberto reveals to their mutual friend that he’s a sea monster, in order to try to get Luca to do the same. However, Luca doesn’t, and acts like he didn’t know. In this way, Luca is leveraging his perceived identity in order to keep his relationships, which is similar to how many LGBTQ+ people have to decide between coming out and maintaining their current relationships. Another example would be Netflix’s 2023 movie, Nimona. What is interesting about this movie in particular though, is that it has an explicitly queer relationship between Ballister and Ambrosius, who are boyfriends. However, the main allegory comes through the character of Nimona, a shapeshifter who largely reflects aspects of the queer experience, but in particular, common experiences of transgender individuals. At one point, Nimona explains, “I feel worse when I don’t [shapeshift]. Like my insides are itchy. You know like that second right before you sneeze? That’s close to it. Then I shape-shift and I’m free.” While this can be read as “be yourself,” the way it’s phrased makes it closer to gender euphoria, in that Ballister assumes that Nimona’s girl form is the most comfortable, but she makes it clear that she is more comfortable at other times. On top of moments like these, the setting also lends itself to the allegory, it being a medieval but technologically advanced city, representing how that society holds onto tradition despite advancements in other areas. I would say that both of these movies lean more into allegory as an artistic endeavor, but because they are children’s films there are some limitations there in what stories can be told without controversy. This shows that queer subtext is not always out of necessity or art, but sometimes a mix of both.
Overall, I think that appreciating the subtext of a piece of literature, as well as seeing what contributes to it, adds another layer of meaning to it. Of course the interpretation may not be what the author intended, but it could still be reasonable (death of the artist and all that). However, why something may be left in the subtext is equally interesting. It could simply be an artistic choice, but it could also point to the societal context it was written in.
Works Cited
Andrews, Jesse, and Mike Jones, screenwriters. Luca. Directed by Enrico Casarosa, Walt Disney Pictures, 2021.
Baird, Robert L., and Lloyd Taylor, screenwriters. Nimona. Directed by Nick Bruno and Troy Quane, Netflix, 2023.
Baker, Paul. "Polari and the Hidden History of Gay Seafarers." National Museums Liverpool, wp.lancs.ac.uk/fabulosa/whats-polari/. Accessed 9 Jan. 2024. Editorial.
Conley, Garrard. Boy Erased: A Memoir of Identity, Faith, and Family. Riverhead Books, 2016.
Ford, Peter. "Polari Dictionary." The Rock in the River Crossing, Wordpress, 13 Jan. 2013, peteford.wordpress.com/polari-dictionary/. Accessed 12 Jan. 2024.
Oates, Joyce Carol. "Three Girls." I Am No One You Know, Ecco Press, 2004.
"Oscar Wilde Cigarette Case to Be Auctioned." British Broadcasting Center, 5 Nov. 2018, www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-wiltshire-46098948. Accessed 12 Jan. 2024.
PBS. 2005, www.pbs.org/speak/words/sezwho/slang/#:~:text=The%20four%20factors%20that%20are,creation%20and%20distribution%20of%20slang. Accessed 12 Jan. 2024.
Wilde, Oscar. The Importance of Being Earnest. 1895.
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